If elementary and high school students are regularly exposed to conversation and productivity experiences that build a desire to contribute, then we won’t need the government to pass a law mandating national service.

For mandating national service removes the need for the individual, family, and community to take responsibility to act in its own best interest. It also establishes a basis for the law’s abuse by government and for young people to look wrongfully past their own community to contribute.

Granted, government can and should offer youth the opportunity to volunteer in emergency and disaster response corps of all kinds. But the drive to do that kind of work should be fired and fed by the learning culture long before any arbitrary time to serve.